Former Schaumburg cop charged with DUI won't lose pension
Former Schaumburg police officer John Raftery won't face any repercussions to his pension from the misdemeanor drunken driving arrest that immediately preceded his resignation Friday, officials said.
Because Raftery was off-duty and charged with a misdemeanor rather than a felony, there will be no impact to his retirement benefits, said Cary Collins, the attorney for Schaumburg's police pension board.
Raftery, 51, of Schaumburg was charged with driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed after his car struck a tree about 1:35 a.m. Friday on the 400 block of Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg.
"It's a pretty strict standard to pull someone's pension," Collins said. "The courts don't favor a forfeiture of benefits."
A police officer needs to serve only eight years to be vested in his or her pension and be eligible to receive benefits at age 60, Collins said. When one has served for 20 years and is over age 50, he or she is eligible to receive half the final salary in retirement.
Pensions are paid at 2.5 percent of an officer's final salary for every year worked, Collins said.
With 28 years' service to the Schaumburg Police Department, Raftery is eligible for 70 percent of his final salary of $99,726.
As per standard procedure, the village's police pension board must formally approve Raftery's retirement benefits. The panel has not met since Raftery resigned, Collins said.